Drugs are taken that suppress your immune system after an organ transplant. They are given so that your body doesn't reject the donor organ. Unfortunately, these drugs are powerful and can affect the entire body.

The bad news is that you may have some side effects. The good news is that side effects are much easier to cope with than they once were.

The specific side effects vary. It depends on the combination of post-transplant drugs you use. Here's a general list of some of the side effects you might have:

Yes, it's a long list. But don't worry too much. Not everyone gets side effects like these. One transplant recipient's response can be very different from another's.

Make sure to tell your health care provider about any side effects. He or she may be able to change your medication. Or he or she may have other ways of treating these problems. Don't suffer needlessly.

Other Drugs Taken After an Organ Transplant

In some cases after an organ transplant, you may need more drugs to cope with the side effects of immunosuppressants. For instance you might take:

Many people only need extra medications during the early part of their treatment. When your doctor lowers the dose of immunosuppressants, the side effects may bother you less or go away.

Since people with transplants need so many drugs, they need to be very careful of drug interactions. Make sure that your health care provider knows all of the other medications that you use. This includes any over-the-counter or herbal medicines. Even some foods such as grapefruit juice can interact with certain medications.